Four people were killed as heavy rain hammered coastal Tamil Nadu today after a depression in the Bay of Bengal turned into a cyclonic storm called Cyclone Ockhi about 60 km from the southern tip of the state. With the cyclone headed north-west towards Lakshadweep, it is unlikely to make a landfall in Tamil Nadu, the weather office said. Schools in seven districts of the state including Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Virudhunagar were closed. In Kanyakumari and Thoothukudi districts, strong winds uprooted more than 500 trees, snapped power lines and damaged settlements close to the sea. Heavy showers are likely to continue for the next 24 hours.